EP1013317B1 - Snow sliding board - Google Patents

Abstract

The snow ski (1) has a stepped upper surface with a lowered section (6) between the front section (3) of the binding zone and the rear portion of the latter. The thickness (e1) of the ski in the section in front of the binding zone is greater than the thickness (e2) of the ski in the rear portion (4) behind the binding.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of winter sports. It aims more precisely a ski with a new shape allowing an improvement of his conduct, particularly with regard to the transmission of support.

Previous techniques

As we know, when practicing alpine skiing, the skier's shoe is held together with the board by a composite safety attachment a stop located at the front of the shoe, and a heel trapping the heel. The bindings are located on the ski in a defined area standard known as "mounting area for fasteners". This area is centered relative to at the shoe mounting point corresponding to the middle of the shoe. Her length is between 30% and 50% of the carrying length of the ski in depending on the size of the ski.

Many skis have a very deep dimension line, and therefore have a relatively small width in the middle zone corresponding to the zone of mounting the binding.

Because of this small width, the problem arises of reducing the risks of contact of the boot with snow when the ski is strongly inclined during turn phases. To solve this problem, it has been proposed to equip the skis with a raising platform on which the two stop parts are mounted and heel piece of the binding.

Examples of such platforms are described in particular in documents FR 2 105 801, US 3 260 532 and FR 2 409 776.

These platforms have several drawbacks and, among others, their weight and cost. They stiffen skis and they are sources of loss of energy at the moment of the impulse necessary for the turn. This loss is due stacking mechanical parts, different mechanical games, and bending suspended games.

In addition, a ski allowing the mounting area of the bindings to be raised increasing the thickness of the board in this area is known from the document EP-A-0 753 330.

During a turn, in the trigger phase, the skier exerts forces essentially at the front of the binding. These supports, at the time of the impulse, are transmitted by the board to the snow at the edges, and more precisely on the edges located inside the turn.

Thus, during these pulses, the ski deforms, and more precisely bends mainly in flexion.

It is important that the ski retains its intrinsic characteristics of deformation even when fitted with safety bindings and the shoe of the skier. The ability to deform the ski influences its behavior; that is to say its precision, its grip, its speed, its comfort .... It is directly related to the intensities and directions of the forces exerted on the ski by the skier. The deformation of the ski depends on the internal structure of the ski and its geometry including its dimension line and its thickness variation, each ski being preferably designed for a specific range of use: long turn, short turn, powdery ....

It is therefore important not to disturb the behavior of a ski too much. equipping it with rigid devices such as fixings and platforms.

In addition, when an impulse is exerted on the ski, a deformation is propagates along the structure of the ski according to the proper stiffness of the board. The propagation of this deformation, equivalent to a vibration of the board, causes, at the level of the contact area between the ski and the snow, that is to say the edges, an oscillatory variation of the contact pressure.

In practice, this results in jolts in the support area, commonly called "grazing", which disrupts the conduct of the turn, so the Ski precision which has an impact on the skier's safety.

Statement of the invention

• dans sa portion avant, la butée d'une fixation ;
• dans sa portion arrière, la talonnière d'une fixation.

The invention therefore relates to a sliding board, the upper face of which includes a zone for mounting the binding, centered relative to the point of assembly of the middle of the boot, intended to receive:

• in its front portion, the stop of a fixing;
• in its rear portion, the heel of a binding.

This gliding board is characterized in that it has a height offset between the front portion of the mounting area of the binding, and the rear portion of the mounting area of the binding, so that the thickness of the gliding board in the front portion of the mounting area of the binding is greater than the thickness of the gliding board in the rear portion of the mounting area of the binding.

In other words, the invention consists in giving the gliding board a shape particular, in which the front part, on which the stop of the attachment, is raised relative to the rear part. This front part is separated from the rear part of the mounting area of the binding, by a difference of well marked level. By height offset, we mean a difference of significant height, materialized by an equivalent slope of at least 20%.

This excess thickness is present in the area of the ski undergoing the loads maximum, typically corresponding to the impulse forces at the front of the shoes in the range of 200 daN to 500 daN. It ensures a load distribution advantageous, better resistance to deformation of the ski and allows, in depending on the internal structure chosen, i.e. better amortization of vibrations, i.e. a more efficient transmission of forces to allow more great reactivity of the ski.

In this front area where the thickness of the board is greater than that of the board in the rear area, we get a much more force transmission distributed over the front of the ski, therefore a ski with more load on snow without penalizing the ability to bend the rear of the ski in flexion.

This zone of greater thickness limits the deformations and in particular the bending in flexion of the ski at the level of the active part when the bend, which results in longer presses therefore more effective edges on the snow.

In addition, this extra thickness zone gives the board rigidity and additional stiffness, which results in a decrease in the capacity of the board to enter into oscillations, and therefore a gain in precision when triggered and driving the turn, in other words a strong attenuation of the phenomena of "Grazing".

In a particular embodiment, the difference in thicknesses of the board in the front and rear portions respectively of the mounting area of the fixing is between 3 and 30 mm.

Indeed, it was observed that when the difference in thicknesses was less at the aforementioned value, the influence of the raised area on the behavior of the skiing is difficult for the user to feel, while when this difference is beyond 30 mm, the overall stiffness of the board is changed too much significant, and generates other disturbances such as fragility or excess of flexibility of the extremities.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the board decreases continuously from the front of the front area of the binding mounting area, to the line contact before.

In one of these cases, the ski profile has a gentle downward slope from the location of the fixing stop to the level of the contact before. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for conform the internal reinforcement located below the upper face forming the decoration. The portion behind the mounting area of the binding has a maximum thickness less than that of the front zone, which decreases in a gentle slope and without breaking up to the rear area of the ski or heel. These two profiles on slopes gentle opposites are separated by the characteristic recess.

In another advantageous form, the raised area is also limited forward by a second step.

In other words, in this case, the gliding board has a boss formed on the top of the board, at the front of the binding mounting area, the extra area being delimited not only at the rear, but also at the front by recesses. At the front and at the rear of these recesses, the ski is similar to a traditional ski.

In one embodiment, the front portion of the mounting area of the attachment, having a greater thickness behind the mounting area of the attachment, extends over a length between 150 and 350 mm.

This outgrowth is, for the most part, at the front of the point materialized on the ski, as corresponding to the "shoe middle".

In this case, the upper surface of the ski has a projection allowing the ski to stiffen in order to obtain the desired pressure distribution on snow.

According to several variant embodiments, the boss can extend transversely over all or part of the width of the gliding board.

In the case where the boss extends only over part of the width of the gliding board, this boss may consist of a single localized part substantially at the median level of the width of the board, or in several parts located at least at the edges of the board.

Brief description of the figures

La figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un ski selon une première forme de réalisation.

La figure 2 est une vue de côté d'un ski selon une seconde forme de réalisation.

Les figures 3, 4 et 5 sont des vues de côté partielles de skis réalisés conformément à l'invention, illustrant le décrochement à l'arrière du bossage conforme à l'invention.

Les figures 6 à 8 sont des vues en coupes transversales sommaires selon VI-VI de la figure 2 au niveau du bossage caractéristique des skis réalisés selon trois formes différentes de réalisation.

La figure 9 est une vue de dessus d'un ski réalisé selon une variante d'exécution.

La figure 10 est une vue de dessus partielle, dans la zone du bossage caractéristique, du noyau interne d'un ski réalisé selon une autre variante de l'invention.

La figure 11 est une vue de côté du noyau illustré à la figure 10.

La figure 12 est une vue en coupe longitudinale médiane du noyau de la figure 10.

La figure 13 est une vue en coupe transversale du noyau de la figure 10 selon le plan XIII-XIII.

La figure 14 est une vue en coupe de la figure 10 selon le plan XIV-XIV.

La figure 15 est une vue en coupe de la figure 10 selon le plan XV-XV.

La figure 16 est une vue en coupe de la figure 10 selon le plan XVI-XVI.

The manner of carrying out the invention, as well as the advantages which result therefrom, will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiments which follow, with the support of the appended figures in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a ski according to a first embodiment.

Figure 2 is a side view of a ski according to a second embodiment.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are partial side views of skis produced according to the invention, illustrating the recess at the rear of the boss according to the invention.

Figures 6 to 8 are summary cross-sectional views along line VI-VI of Figure 2 at the level of the characteristic boss of skis produced according to three different embodiments.

Figure 9 is a top view of a ski produced according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a partial top view, in the region of the characteristic boss, of the internal core of a ski produced according to another variant of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the core illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view in median longitudinal section of the core of FIG. 10.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the core of Figure 10 along the plane XIII-XIII.

Figure 14 is a sectional view of Figure 10 along the plane XIV-XIV.

Figure 15 is a sectional view of Figure 10 along the plane XV-XV.

Figure 16 is a sectional view of Figure 10 along the plane XVI-XVI.

Way of realizing the invention

As already said, the invention relates to a particular gliding board with a new configuration. Thus, in known manner, a board of slide (1) comprises a spatula end (9) at the front, an end at the rear heel (7), a front contact line (11) and a rear contact line (14), and a mounting mounting area (2) defined in a standardized manner.

This mounting area of the binding (2) is divided into two parts separated by a "shoe middle" mark (19), namely a front portion (3) intended to receive the stop of the fixing, and a rear portion (4) intended to receive the heel of a binding.

According to a characteristic of the invention, this area for mounting the fasteners has a recess between the front portion (3) of the mounting area of the fixing (2), and the rear portion (4) of this same area (2).

This particular shape gives the board for sliding in the front portion (3) of the mounting area of the binding, a thickness (e ₁ ) significantly greater than the thickness (e ₂ ) measured in the rear portion (4) of the mounting area of the binding (2). Thus, such a board has inside the mounting area (2) of the binding, a height offset (6) materializing the rear limit of the boss (5).

In practice, the difference in thickness of the ski between the front portion (3) and the rear portion of the mounting area (2) of the binding, can be between 3 and 30 mm, and preferably in the vicinity of 10 mm.

Thus, on such a board, the area (3) located under the stop of the fixing corresponding to the area of application of the skier's impulse force at the time when starting and driving the turn, is thicker and therefore ensures localized stiffening of the ski. In contrast, the rear of this area has a classic thickness because less loaded in this turn phase.

To allow mounting of the binding, the heel is mounted, either on a raising wedge, either on a platform itself secured to the boss (5), and extending rearward.

The thickness of the rear part of the ski will therefore conventionally be decreasing by example of a thickness of 18 mm at the rear mounting area of the binding up to a thickness of 7 mm at the heel end (7) of the ski.

Figure 3 defines the specific height offset of the invention. To avoid increasing the ski height over too long important, which would have the effect of weighing it down and stiffening it excessively, the specific ski of the invention has a relatively height difference brutal, located in the mounting area of the binding, practically at the level of the middle of shoe area (19).

This offset having a height H and a length L, has a slope H / L greater than 20% (twenty percent).

The profile of the step (6) can be extremely varied, as for example illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the recess (6) limiting the rear of the boss (5) may consist of an inclined face (10), whose inclination relative to the upper surface (8) of the rear area for mounting the ski bindings can be optimized according to the internal structure of the board.

As seen in Figure 4, the board can include in its structure internal, an insert (15) intended to facilitate the attachment of the fixing screws, or a possible raising platform, as well as increasing the value of the tightening torque liable to cause deterioration of the screw thread or its thread.

This insert (15) may consist of a plate of various materials, such as for example laminates impregnated with phenolic or melamine resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plates, or alternatively glass fiber laminate combined with epoxy resin.

Such an insert (15) is of planar geometry, which means, as can be visualize in figure 4, that its distance to the upper face of the board is variable. More precisely, this distance is greater in the boss area (3), while it is relatively reduced in region (4), corresponding to the area thinner board.

Such an insert (15) can have a length close to 550 mm, a width 55 mm, and a thickness of the order of 1 to 2 mm.

Other profiles can be envisaged, such as that illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the recess (12) extends below the thickness of the board slides in the rear part (4) of the mounting area of the binding, forming a recessed area (13).

As already said, the gliding board according to the invention has a greater thickness in the front part of the mounting area of the binding.

The boss (5) having an additional thickness can extend, as illustrated in figure 1, up to the front of the ski, with a continuous decrease the thickness of the ski along the boss (5).

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the boss (17) has a reduced length, and limited at the front by a second recess (18). In other words, the boss (17) is located on a fraction only of the front of the ski binding mounting area.

Typically, the length of this boss is between 150 and 350 mm.

To exercise its function, the boss (17) as illustrated in FIG. 2 can be present on all or part of the width of the ski.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 6 representing a summary section VI-VI ' in Figure 2, this boss (17) is present over the entire width of the ski.

In other variants, such as in particular that illustrated in FIG. 7, the boss (20) extends transversely only over a central part of the width of the ski.

The width of this boss (20) can be adapted according to the desired stiffness characteristics, as well as the position in which the fixing stop.

In another alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, this boss is breaks down into two bosses (26, 27) extending from the lateral zones of the ski towards the median plane. In this way, the ski has a hollow area (29), the width of which can be variable over the length of the boss.

In an advantageous form illustrated in FIG. 9, the boss (30) is present across the full width of the board at the front of the mounting area fixing. It extends forward to form a rib (31), the width and the height decreases by moving in the direction of the spatula.

Figures 10 to 16 illustrate the inner core of a ski produced according to a variant embodiment of the invention.

Thus, according to this variant, and as can be observed in FIG. 11, the ski comprises a core (50), which is characterized in that it comprises a zone (52) for mounting the binding consisting of two portions, namely a rear portion (54) of smaller thickness, and a front portion (53) of greater thickness, these two portions being separated by a recess (56).

In the alternative embodiment illustrated, the front portion (53) is extended by an even thicker zone (58) extending over a few tens of centimeters beyond the position of the fixing stop.

In this embodiment, the edges of the board include exposed portions (60) of the core, which are laterally flush.

In the example illustrated, the core (50) is laterally visible at the level of the skate area, and is covered by the top protective layer of the shell of the ski, in front of the skating area.

The height of the apparent edge (60) of the core decreases progressively in the junction zone (61) between the skate and the front of the ski.

The element forming the visible side part (60) of the core can be made of multiple materials, for example resin laminates phenolic, melamine resin, or even thermoplastics such as than acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

As seen in Figure 10, the upper face of the core includes a recess (65) intended to receive a local reinforcement in the form of a leaf. This sheet may in particular consist of a glass fiber fabric impregnated with epoxy resin.

As illustrated in Figure 10, this local reinforcement, and therefore the recess corresponding, may have an elongated shape formed by the association of two mainly rectangular zones, namely a first front zone (66), covering approximately 80% of the width of the core, and a rear zone (67), covering the almost the entire width of the core.

The rear zone (67) of this local reinforcement extends over almost the entire zone mounting fixture, and can end, for example, with a zone triangular (68) or even by any other advantageous form to improve the resistance of the gliding board.

As can be seen in Figures 15 and 16, the local reinforcement, and therefore the corresponding recess (67) is bordered laterally by the presence of the portions (60) forming the visible edges, so that when the reinforcement is in place in the recess, its upper surface is at the same level as the top of the elements of visible edges, and that the core therefore has a section rectangular.

At the front of the mounting area of the bindings, as already said, the board and the core have a zone (58) in excess thickness, which has one end rear (68) of curved shape.

This extra thickness (58) is extended laterally and rearwards by two ribs (69) observable in FIGS. 10 and 14. These ribs are susceptible frame the front end of a plate or platform intended to receive the actual fixing.

It appears from the above that the gliding board according to the invention presents a particular geometry ensuring in particular a very good transmission of support when turning corners. In addition; we observe a reduction in the influence of vibrations and a more efficient yield in terms transmission of efforts. However, the structure of the board allows heightening of the fixing stop without intermediate piece. We finally observe, a distribution of stiffness offset towards the front of the ski.

Claims (12)

1. A board for gliding (1), the upper face of which includes a zone (2) for fitting the binding, which is centred with respect to the point for fitting the mid-point of the boot (19), intended to receive:

   in its front portion (3), the toe stop of a binding;

   in its rear portion (4), the heel binding of a binding;

   characterized in that it includes, in the longitudinal direction, a step (6) separating the front portion (3) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding and the rear portion (4) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding, such that the thickness (e₁) of the board for gliding in the front portion (3) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding is greater than the thickness (e₂) of the board for gliding in the rear portion (4) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding.
2. The board for gliding according to the claim 1, characterized in that the front portion (3) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding forms a protuberance (17) limited at the front by a second step (18).
3. The board for gliding according to the claim 2, characterized in that the protuberance (17) extends over a length of between 150 mm and 350 mm.
4. The board for gliding according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the difference in the thickness (e₁, e₂) of the board in the front (3) and rear (4) portions respectively of the zone (2) for fitting the binding is between 3 mm and 30 mm.
5. The board for gliding according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the thickness (e₁) of the board for gliding decreases continuously from the front portion (3) of the zone for fitting the binding to the front contact zone (11) of the ski.
6. The board for gliding according to the claim 1, characterized in that the thickness (e₁) of the board for gliding in the front portion (3) of the zone (2) for fitting the binding is constant.
7. The board for gliding according to the claim 2, characterized in that the protuberance (17) extends transversely over the entire upper width of the board for gliding.
8. The board for gliding according to the claim 2, characterized in that the protuberance (17) extends transversely over a part of the width of the board for gliding.
9. The board for gliding according to the claim 8, characterized in that the protuberance (20) is located transversely at the mid-point of the board.
10. The board for gliding according to the claim 8, characterized in that the protuberance consists of two portions (26, 27) located at least at the sides of the board.
11. The board for gliding according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it includes a core which includes a zone (52) for fitting the binding consisting of two portions, namely a thinner rear portion (54) and a thicker front portion (53}, these two portions being separated by a step (56).
12. The board for gliding according to the claim 11, characterized in that the core includes a localized recess (65) receiving a reinforcement.

Images